Thailand calls on ASEAN countries to join the Mine Ban Treaty

(Tuesday 14 May 2002 Bangkok, Thailand)

(original on TCBL letterhead)

The Thailand Campaign to Ban Landmines (TCBL) congratulates the Royal Thai government for seeking to engage all its neighbors in discussing the landmine ban as a regional confidence building initiative, and in its hosting of a 2 day meeting on the issue. The TCBL also commends the participation of non-party states Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia and the Lao PDR in this meeting.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) remains one of the most heavily mine affected regions of the world. Every 2 hours one of its members is killed or injured by a landmine incident. On one hand, mine clearance projects are priorities in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, while on the other hand 3 countries in the region still produce anti-personnel landmines. All mainland ASEAN countries are mine affected: Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines calls for their eradication from the ground, and that this abolition become entrenched in policy and practice by adhering to the norm established by the Mine Ban Treaty.

On the 13-14 May, the Royal Thai Government hosted a meeting in Bangkok to seek solutions to the landmine problem within the region. The meeting, titled Landmines in Southeast Asia was opened by Dr. Pracha Guna-Kasem, advisor to the Thai Foreign Minister, who encouraged the governmental representatives to find a solution to the landmine problem. The meeting was attended by 8 out of 10 ASEAN governments, the exceptions being Burma/Myanmar and Singapore. Also attending the meeting were representatives of countries supportive to the ‘Ottawa Process’ which brought about the Mine Ban Treaty and representatives of concerned UN Agencies and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

In addressing the meeting, Chulalongkorn Law Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn noted that landmines, due to their indiscriminate nature, are “the greatest violators of international humanitarian law”, and that, “..the principles enshrined in the Mine Ban Treaty can be said to form a part of international customary law, binding on all entities- governments and non-state armed rebellions in the region alike. Any country which allows or facilitates the transit of vessels carrying landmines belonging to other countries for possible use in military conflicts, is in violation of the spirit of the treaty.”

International Campaign to Ban Landmines Coordinator Liz Bernstein expressed concern that “..mine pollution in Burma is growing. It is now the largest producer and user in the SE Asian region.” and “.. the number of mine victims recorded in Burma is on the increase, with some of its internal states suffering widespread pollution by landmines.”

The International Committee of the Red Cross delegate noted that “Anti-personnel mines are one of the most disastrous consequences of armed conflict.” Yet, according to the Landmine Monitor researcher for Burma, “The military junta in Burma does not appear to recognize this crisis within their own country, since they did not respond to the invitation from Thailand to work together on the problem with their ASEAN neighbors.”

Philippine Ambassador Rosalinda Tirona highlighted the need for regional action by stating “..cross-border cooperation will be necessary to resolve this crisis. All ASEAN representatives should take home the policy suggestion that their governments immediately accede to the Mine Ban Treaty, there is no substitute for this formal commitment.”

Representatives of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, all countries heavily affected by landmines and explosive war remnants gave presentations on their own attempts to deliver assistance to victims of anti-personnel landmines and to clear landmine pollution from their countries.

ASEAN Landmine Campaigners from the Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Japan, Australia and Singapore, present at the meeting, expressed their profound disappointment at the non-attendance of Singapore and Burma. They also called on Brunei and Indonesia, who have taken the first step in signing the treaty to speedily complete their ratifications. They support the consensus by Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia that the solution to the landmine problem requires the accession of all ASEAN states to the Mine Ban Treaty. They also support the seminar recommendation that all participants report the results of the seminar to their home country for policy development, and the suggestion that a working group be proposed at the next ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting empowered to develop a simple and fundamental framework for a SE Asian APM Free Zone as a complement to the existing SE Asian Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.

The International Campaign to Ban Landmines looks forward to returning to Thailand in September of 2003 to attend, when Thailand will be the expected host of the Fifth Meeting of States Party to the Mine Ban Treaty, with all ASEAN members attending as full parties.

Full reports from the ASEAN countries contained in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines LANDMINE MONITOR Report (available online at www.icbl.org/lm), plus a special regional summary, were released today in a report entitled: ASEAN AND THE BANNING OF ANTI-PERSONNEL LANDMINES. The launch featured a panel discussion by Landmine Monitor researchers from throughout the region at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand on Tuesday evening.

Contact:

• Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, Phone: 02934 3289, Fax: 02374 1671